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CHRISTIAN INDEX AND SOUTH-WESTERN BAPTIST. VOL. 50—NO. 40 A Religious and Family Paper, PUBLISHED WKKKLY I* ATLANTA, GA-, AT Three Dollars per Annum, Invariably in advance. J. J. TOON, Proprietor Short and Quick. There is a short and quick route to the grave, and beyond a certain point, the descent is rapid—lightning speed. The recorded results of the examina tions of insurance companies, show that, in a given number of risks, ten temperate persons die, between the age of fifteen and twenty inclusive, and eighteen intem perate. Between the ages of twenty-one and thirty, ten temperate persons die, and fifty-one intemperate ; the risk being on an inebriate, more than 500 per cent, greater than on a temperate person. Hence insurance companies avoid risks on inebriates, as they would on consump tives, or those suffering from other fatal diseases. Says the Christian Weekly, “ Liquor drinkers, in cholera, and all epidemics, are the first to die, because, when not un der the influence of liquor, the system is just as much below the healthy standard, as it was above it soon after drinking, and in that low state it is so peculiarly sus ceptible of disease, has so little vitality, so little power to resist the ravages of any sickness, that it falls an easy prey to the first prevailing disease Avhich comes along.” And how many take this short and quick route to death ? Reliable govern ment statistics give one hundred thousand as die number who die annually from far temperance, in the United States. How appalling! What an army of drunk ards ! If those who have entered upon this short and quick route to the grave would be saved, let them stop 'at once the use of alcoholic drinks in every form. Besides, the short and quick route to the grave, is the short and quick route to hell. B. W. I. Lessons from Creation. No. 1. “ The source of the Nile” has long been a sort of synonym for obscurity. In this particular, however, this river is by no means singular; for we find more or less of obscurity about the origin of most things, and the origin of many is sur rounded with impenetrable mystery. There is a fine picture, which the reader may have seen, called “ the Court of Death.” Among other striking figures in the painting, there is a corpse of a young and athletic man, whose head and feet are resting in the waters of oblivion. This is a device of the artist to indicate the mystery which surrounds the origin and the end of human existence. It may be said of every created being that it is “ wonderfully made.” The en trance upon life, on the part of the lowest of the animal creation, causes the reflect ing student to think deeply upon some of the most awfully mysterious subjects which can occupy the human mind. The egg of the ordinary quail (or “ partridge”) shows no sign of vitality. The germ of its future life of joy and of suffering is en tirely latent. But in a short time a sprightly bird leaps forth from his curious hiding-place, and at once runs off to be gin the world. There is no tedious course of education in walking and running. What sort of an institution of learning was established in that tiny shell? And yet this little bird runs nimbly as soon as the shell breaks. True, he cannot fly ; but then be never becomes fond of this form of locomotion. During the term of his natural life he is generally averse to the exercise of his wings, and does nearly all his voluntary travelling 'afoot. He is by nature and by preference a pedestrian, and, even when pursued by Tuen or by dogs, will fly when he can no longer hide. Strange to say, lie is nearly as good a pe destrian at birth as at maturity; and at the tender age of two minutes, he is so ex pert at hiding as tq be fairly worthy of the title of the “ Artful Dodger." Now, how comes such a form of exist ence to leap suddenly from a shell of three-fourths of an inch in diameter? There is a mystery here — a creation in embryo-^— which may well cause the wisest to wonder. What is more obscure than the origin of language ? Was it human or divine, or both ? The profoundest scholars are staggered by the question of the origin of the alphabet. Some say it was created by God on the evening of the sixth day. Some hold that it was revealed to Adam. Others attribute its invention to Noah; others to Abraham ; others, again, to the Phoenicians ; and others ttill, to the Egyp tians. In short, we “ Sturt it at home and chase it in the dark. Through Gaul, through Greece, and—into Noah’s aik 1” We have noticed locust trees springing up from soil which had just been excavated from the bowels of the earth in a deep railroad “ cut.” Whence came the seed ? Where have they been sleeping for untold ages ? How have they been preserved ? What a host of mysterious and perplexing thoughts start up fa our minds wnen we th|nk of the orfafa of eyil! We may well expect, then, to find some inexplicable mysteries awaiting us, in entering upon the study of the Mosaic account of creation There will be many things which wc should like to know, but which the Bible does not tell. Still, we may learn some valuable Jessions from the very silenoe of Scrfa tpres. One of these is God’s Absolute Sovereignty. In the Mosaic account, God gives us no explanation of His motive in creating the world. About as satisfactory an explana tion as we can safely accept ia, that He produced the universe because He chose to do it. The same thing in kind, if not in decree, is to be said about the work of grace in the conversion of a soul. The man who thinks he can give a satisfactory reason why he should be saved, independ ently of the free, sovereign, electing grace of God, is in error, and we may well doubt whether he has.any jast apprehension of the plan of salvation. ' • < ; In questions about the manner of crea tion, we find ourselves mystified as soon as we attempt anything like explanation. For instance: Did God begin with atoms, \m A mi : FRANKLIN PRINTING HOUSE, ATLANTA. GA., THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1871. {tin A BAR.f —- r r or, as Poe’s Eureka has it, with a single primordial particle ? If so, then whence came these atoms, or this single partiele ? We have here, at once, an illustration of the doctrine of two “ inconceivable contra dictories,” as set forth by Sit William Hamilton. The value of this profound and beautiful doctrine is based entirely upon faith. We cannot conceive of crea tion absolute; i. e., of creation without materials. It is equally impossible to con ceive of ttwereated materials. As great a thinker as Mansel expresses, in his “Limits of Religious Thought,” his con victions of man’s inability to conceive of any absolute, self-existent, unlimited be ing. Whether we accept his theory or not, here is the universe spread out before our inquiring and astonished eyes, a mon ument to the creating power of God. Reason shrinks back appalled. Her whole realm is here “without form and void,” and darkness is upon her deep, till the idea of God’s absolute sovereignty arises and He says, “Let there be light,” and there is light. How could God have light without sun, moon or stars ? We pap oply say, that God did not choose to work in the dark, and therefore called light into being. What were the nature and length of the evenings and the mornings of the days previous to the fourth day, when the sun was created ? In all these questions, as in many more of a like nature, reason is at fault, and we find nothing but mystery and perplexity, unless we accept the sov ereignty of God as a starting point for reason, as we are often obliged to accept it as the starting point of right. The creation is a great anthem to the absolute sovereignty of God. “ The heavens de clare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth His handiwork. No speech, no language; their voice is not heard but the anthem need not be audible in order to be effective as a wonderful witness to God’s sovereignty. J. C. Hiden. Wilmington, N. C. Until the Daybreak. Will it pain me then forever, Will it leave me happy never, This weiuy gnawing of tl)e old, (jijll pain? Will the sweet, yet bitter yea'ming, That still at my heart is burning, Throb on and ou forever, and forever be in vain? From the conflict ceasing never, From the toil increasing ever, From the hard and bitter battle with the cold and callous world, Will the sky grow never clearer? Will the hills draw never nearer, Where the golden city glitters, in its rainbow mists impearled ? Ah me, that golden flity ! Can God, then, have no pity ? I have sought it with such yearning fur so many bitter years I And yet the hill’s blue glimmer, And the portal’s golden shimmer Fade ever with the evening, and the distance never nears. O weary, weary living I 0 foemen unforgiving! 0 enemies that meet me on the earth and in the air ! O flesh, that clogs my ytarning! 0 weakness aye returning! Will ye never cease so trouble? Will ye never, never spare ? Alas! the clouds grow darker. And the hills loom ever starker, Across tt)e leaden mist-screen of the heavens, dull and gray! Thou must learn to bear thy burden, Thou must wait to win thy guerdon, Until the daybreak cometli and the shadows flee away. Some Facts about Those who Claim to be Primitive Baptists. Having called the attention of these leople to a few facts in their own history, [ desire now to call the attention of my brethren, who support missions, Sunday schools, etc., to some things which I deem it right they should notice. The Minutes of the Georgia Baptist State Convention, annually contain a tabular statement of the number of their Associations, churches, etc., in the same form, and corresponding to the statement of all other churches in the State; and their supposed number is counted with the rest, as composing part of the Baptist denomination in the State. This I bold to be wrong, and hope it may cease, for the following rea sons : Ist. Grigg M. Thompson, one of the most able preachers they ever had in Georgia, published a book, in 1860, enti tled, The Measuring Rod, or the Prin ciples and Practice qf the Primitive Baptists; in whioh he charges that a party of them have departed from the Primitive Baptist faith, and become Asi ans. He does not specify what pro portion of them are guilty of this here sy, but his book makes the impression that it is a large and influential party. The editor of their paper, EJder G* Beebe, of New York, }s set down as their leader, with Elder S. Trott, of Va., and Elder T. P. Dudley, of Kentucky. The length of this article will not allow of quotations which would show conclusively the truth of this charge; but any one who doubts it, can have those doubts removed by con sulting Mr. Thompson’s book, or Mr. Beebe’s paper. They are not generally known as Arians, but as Two Seeders. Thompson shows the correspondence of the two systems of belief. Suffice it to say, they make Christ a created being, and thus assign him an inferior nature — they believe the Holy Spirit was created by Christ, and they reject the regenera tion of the soul. They hold these, with other errors. Now, these people have their churches and Associations in Geor gia, qqd are connected with the Frjmjtive Baptists, and claim to fie tfic Primitive Baptists. Those who profess not to have thus forsaken the faith, have never pro ceeded formally to declare non-fellowship with them; but, lam told, by those who ought to know, that they will correspond with each other, and commune together, thus bidding God-speed and partaking of tfieir sips. If lam wrong in this, I hope some of them will correct me. 2nd- The^ - have persistently held to their resolution of non-fellowship, rigidly enforcing it in all their practice. They will not allow their members to commune with ours, and if any person who has been baptized into our churches since 1833 takes a letter and desires to join one of their ohurohes, they will not receive him into their fellowship without re-baptizing him. Ido not see how the line of divi sion could be more strongly drawn. 3rd. I consider their claim to counten ance and standing as a part of the Bap tist denomination, as vitiated and destroyed by the foregoing, and their obstinate re pudiation of intercourse with us, and in formation, light and knowledge proceed ing from us; while, on the contrary, with out such information, light and knowl- edge, they persistently continue to ridi cule, abuse and misrepresent that upon which God, in goodness and mercy, has set His seal of approbation in tens of thousands of instances. 4th. Neglecting the opportunities of forty years, they still charge upon us such things as would, if believed , blacken the memory of as good, holy, devoted and intelligent men as ever labored in the ministry in Georgia, and are intended to disgrace those who, being their colabor ers, still survive them. Justice to our departed and living brethren, demands that those who, in spite of all things, will thus act, should be rebuked. sth. It does not become us to grant to them by our conduct, or published proceedings, a dignity and religious,, character which secures them influence they do not use for the glory of Christ and the extension of His kingdom; but rather to hinder these things, especially among the young and inexperienced. 6th. It is not right to make, or to risk making false reports. This is done in reporting these people. It appears that we have the minutes of but one Associa tion that dfltes as far down as 1849. AH the rpst are earlier dates. Those of the Ocmulgee, as early as 1810. The Uhar lee Association dates to 183fi, and is re ported, at-that time, tq have 820 members. A gentleman informed me, a few days ago, that, at this time, it did not contain over 200 members. The last session was held eight miles from Rome, commencing Friday before the second Sabbath of Sep tember ; so that, I suppose, the informa tion was about correct, and I have no doubt others of the Associations reported may have in the same way become les3 in number. Whpn tips article shall have been pub lished, I will feel that a duty has been discharged, which, as an old minister, I owed to my brethren, living and dead, and also to the beloved cause of my blessed Master, Jesus Christ. I have en deavored to obtain my information from the best sources ; but it is well known this people have no standard works, and rather condemn and repudiate everything of the kind. I desire only to speak the truth in love and meekness, and hold myself ready to make any correction, upon a proper and reliable showing that I have made a mistake. C. 11. Stillwell. Baptism ; the Church; etc. Some of us, in this part of the king dom, do not believe everything we see in print, even if found in the Index and RIApTfST, wh}ch we love so rqueh. We do not believe baptism is a door into the church, as is often stated by the corres pondents of our papers, any more than faith, repentance, a reason of the hope. Surely, baptism w}ll pot entitle qs to the privileges of the church where all these are wanting. No one bqt the Christian, hqs a claim on the churph. A. applies for membership; ren have no knowledge of his past char acter. Motions nor resolutions will in troduce him- Why ? He has given but oqe evidence of diseipleshjp: that is his application. If he says he has repented for having sinned against God, and be lieves in Jesus Christ, the only Saviour of sinners, the fellowship is influenced by the applicant, but not controlled. Jf he further satisfies the church he was im mersed on a profession of his faith, by a proper administrator, A. is at once a mem ber of that church, in full fellowship, and when the test is given, or vote taken, the fact is demonstrated, the Moderator, with the whole church, giving the hand as a to ken of the fact. What was the door in this case ? Not application, nor repent ance, nor faith, nor the reason of his hope, neither baptism ; but all together consti tute A. a Christian , and introduce him into the fellowship of the church. Noth ing short of tips pharaoter will do. Then A., the Christian, controlls the fellowship of tfie church; and if he. continues to give the brethren the evidence of disci pieship, they (being Christians) could as easily make a world as exclude him from their fellowship. r jp*l e W a fifc the Chris tian character, is the hindrance to fellow ship, and the want of fellowship is the hindrance to membership, of unworthy persons, and is a hedge around the churph, as tho hedge arouud dqb and fii s proper ty kept off the intruder. Job i: 10. We who are called Baptists, everywhere and in all ages, since a church has been organized, have held tenaciously to the commission, “ Go ye, therefore, and make disciples qf all nations, then baptise the:-e disciples, not into the ohurch, but into the name of the Father, Sou and Spirit; and we believe the church no plaoe to make Christians, but the home of those already made. These facts are fully set forth by the action of the first church, as recorded by the faithful historian, Luke, in Acts ii. Were not the 3,000 baptized on the day of Pentecost? Luke does not say so. Were they not added to the church—the 120 this day ? He says they were. Acts ii: 41. And he further says, in verse 47, “ the Lord added to the church daily the saved.” No mqre, no less. It was not one day’s work of receiving or adding They that joined did so, not by baptism, neither were those added to make them Christians, but because they were such. Those baptized on that occasiqn, had “gladly received the wqrd,” and these only are mentioned by Luke as re ceiving the ordinance, while three thou sand were added to the churoh on this day. But how? Not by baptism. The question is answered in verse 47: “ the IfOrd added to the church daily, the saved.” Where were the three thousand baptized, and, by whom did they receive the ordin ance ? Luke here does not tell us, and we cannot say; but let us ask a few ques tions, to influence thought. Was not the Jerusalem church, at this time, the only church ? Matt, xviii: 17. Does not Luke say, in the beginning of the Pentecostal revival they numbered about one hundred and twenty ? Who made and baptized those thousands who were added at that revival ? Acts v: 14; xi: 24; ix : 26. What church were the disciples baptized into by the Lord, mentioned John iv: 1 ? What church contained the members made and baptized by Johniv : 1 ? Into what church were the believers, in Sychar, baptized? John iv: 29—40. In what church were the made and baptized Christ- ians of the seventy, and the twelve, wlier they were sent out? To w’hat church die! they belong ? Into what church did Paul and Barnabas baptize members in their missionary work in Asia, before they formed the churehes at Antioch, Corinth, Philippi, Thessalonica? Into what church did Paul baptize tjhe eleven he found at Ephesus; and if be did not re-baptize them, to what church did his predecessor add them by baptism —as there was no church, at this time, at Ephesus ? It is clear, to my mind, those added to the church in Jerusalem—-in the Pontecostal revival—were those baptized by John, Jesus, the seventy,- and the twelve. The vast assembly in Jerusalem at the time of the Pentecost, were Jews, and among them, the Christian Jews, called together for the Same great purpose of offering their “ first fruits ” of the har vest, as well as theii’ A “ free-will offerings.” On this day, thiHLiristians were provi dentially thrown together, with the Jeru salem church, by # chain of circumstan ces, at the feast or Pentecost and descent of the Holy its miraculous soupd and appearance, came npt fro,tit the south or west, but down from heaven, as the sound of a rushing mighty wind, and when the “ sounds* as made,” the Christ ians flopked tq the spot qs the people of a city d<> to the sound of a church hell, and when opce jirihat church revival, they continued with the church, in the “Apostles’ doctrine and fellowship,” liv ing on the hospitality of the benevolent chmeh of 120, for* this was a time of “free-will offering.” Those Christians who came in, being-*f the same faith and practice, were “added daily” to the lit tle band of Christians. By these means the church, the only church, tfie first qhurph, increased tq thousands. It is worthy of special notice, “ the Lord added,” not Peter,"Tames, the church, or a session of the churoh. Christians are brought together and added to the church by the same spiritual influence to this day. They are not brought into the church by motions, resolutions, creeds, decorums, or rules, neither baptism ; hut (he Lord Qod gives the Christian his certificate of mem bership—-an experience of graoe, and by His Spirit in us, sends the Christian to the church whore he finds an easy en trance into its fellowship, which fellow ship is controlled, not by the body, but the applicant. It baptism is a door into the church, and church and kingdom of God are sy nonymous, as is admitted by all writers I have except D.igg, on the passage, John iii; 5, then baptism is a door into the kingdom, and if so, is not the conclusion of the Romanists, Rrotest ants and Campbellites irresistible? We must be horn of water, or baptism, to en ter the and then of the Spirit, lawfully to heir tfie inheritance. The phjldren qf believing parents are, by this means, 4 *vhriStojri^7r”4 H r Hindu Chri?tiaus of, and put in possc-ssi&n of their inherit ance, by being bum of believing pa rents, whq are the spiritual descendants of Abrahani. Adultsiare initiated hy the same easy process, into the church and kingdom* This whole theory is erected on a false interpretation of John iii: 5, and that the church aqd kingdom are identioab This pupil of the Saviour was a Jew, the sop or descendant of Abraham, according to die flesh. lie thought, as his brethren gonerally believed, they “inherited” the right to the kingdom of heaven. He wished to know, as the Lawyer in Luke x : 2, “ what he must do ” to get in pos session of his inheritance. Jesus tells him he must be born of God, to be a child of God. He could talk like the rich man, “father Abraham,” but not like a Chris tian, “my Father who art (q heaven.” Jesus would teach “the Ruler that the kingdom was not inherited by flesh and blood ; that he must be born again. John taught the same. He cut down this tree, and laid his axe at its root. Matt, fa i 7 —lo. But the root did pat die. John would not baptize a Jew, though the blood of Abraham leaped joyfully through his veius, without fruit meet for repentance. Jesus would be satisfied with nothing less. Paul met the same heresy at Corinth, for “flesh and blood cannot inherit the king dom of God,” (I o,cr. xv: 50,) neither pap any one wanting the Christian char acter* Eph* v : 5. This heresy of water birth, or baptism, is the artery that keeps alive the Roman sts, Protestants and Gampbellitos. Their life’s blood flows through this channel. Something must he done by them to secure an inheritance in the kingdom, and that something is the christening ordinance of baptism. The Bible requires uS to he something, to be sorrovvful for having sin ned against God*, and be believing in Jesus, the Saviour of sinners. Then we enter the kingdom of heaven through Christ, the door. This Christian is now ready to take the oath of allegiance to the King, which he does by submitting to baptism publicly.* Having thus put on Christ, and bein.gr in possession of the Christian character, fluid, necessarily, the love of God in his heart, the Lord sends hina in search of the church. And what is more natural than for birds of the same feather to flock together ? What church has doors with bolts and bars he cannot loose ? The Christian carries the keys in his own bosom. Thus it is the Lord equips, sends, and adds the Christian to the church. It ,was three thousand of these characters that were added on the day of Pentecost; and Jesus continued to add them daily, in the same way. When the full Christian character devel ops itself, full fellowship is controlled by it, and it will always be, when Christ is exhibited in us. In that proportion, the fellowship of the church is controlled. Then we oonelude, Ist, The kingdom of God is the reign of Christ in the hearts of his people. 2nd,. A church is a visi ble body of Christians, united together for mutual help, and as lights in the world. 3rd, The door' 61 the church is the en trance through the fellowship of a church. 4th, The Christian carries the keys, opens the door, and enters. sth, Christ adds the saved to the church. 6th, The church cannot control its own fellowship. Matt. Bishop. Fort Deposit, Lowndes county, Ala. Wbokg.—A mao cannot do a worse thing for himself, or for others, than to disobey God. To All Consistent Missionary Baptists—A Few Plain Statements. Dear Brethren: The Board of Foreign, Missions of the Southern Baptist Con vention have believed it to be the solemn duty of Southern Baptists to continue their separate action in the Foreign Mis sion work. In this, the concurrence of the churches have been received. All have strenuously urged that the work shall not be transferred to other hands. It appeared also to the Board, that an onward movement in this enterprise was essential to success. Not to advance, would be to recede, and to recede would be ultimately to abandon. The recent meeting of the Convention aocorded, in all its reports and discussions, with this view of the subject. The Board have obeyed the instructions thus given. About fifteen additional laborers have been put into the field, in reliance upon what might reasonably be expected from the churches. Our liabilities have thus been greatly in creased. We will need an avvT :l ge month ly receipt of $2,5uG. The Board have been sadly disappoint ed. In July tfieir receipts were about $400; in August about $1,800; and September promises to be comparatively small. Jn the meantime, our cause is suffering. We have not been able to make full remittances to the different stations. The missionaries are blaming the Board, as well as the churches. Bro. Simmons writes: “Itis a sin and shame to go in debt as we have to do here.” Dr. Cote says : “ The appropriations of the Board will not half meet the wants of tfie Mis sion. Other denomioptions av-e putting forth their -I he Presbyterians of Great Britan spend SBO,OOO, and have tiyenty-five stat ions. The Methodists spend about the same sum. The Congregation alisms oarrv on an extensive work. We, who constitute one of the largest denom inations, will spend in Italy about as many hundreds as they do thousands.” Bro. Yates writes: “ Our phqrcfies fiave not yet commenced to pray in earnest over this matter. Who will take the lead in an energetic prosecution of the Foreign Mission work ? Contributions in mere driblets, both in men and means—a mere charity ‘for the poor heathen ’ —will never bring the world back to Christ, or accom plish any other important end, where a whole nation is to be influenced. Brethren, shall the Foreign Mission work he prose cuted more vigorously, or shall we give it up ? It is, so far as aid from home is concerned, dying a natural death; and the end is at hand.” Brother Graves: writes still more strongly, and thinks**?!% the duty of the Board to horrow money for remittances, rather than to leave the missionaries under tho necessity of sup plying thejr necessities hy securing loans at 12 per cent. It ought also to be stated, that we have three missionaries under appointment, who cannot leave until the treasury is considerably replenished. Others are pleading to be permitted to go. We ought to send them at once. These are plain facts, and they ought to he known. The transfer of this work —so much to be deplored by us all—will heqame a necessity, if relief comes not quickly. I have been hopeful up to this time. But hope deferred maketh the heart sick, and my worst fears are aroused. The question arises, Is there no reme dy ? We answer, The remedy is easy and at hand. It is only for every lover of Jesus to send us a free-will offering—’for for every pastor to bring before hia ohurch or churches these facts, and ask for a con tribution,. Will it be done ? Are we true Baptists, regarding the will of Jesus, not only in the ordinances, but in liis last command, to “ preach the gospel to every creature ?” On behalf of the Board. Jaa. B. Taylor, Cor. Sec. Why Ministers are not Sustained. In my first, I tried to show the impor tance of ministerial support, and promised to try to show the reason why it is neglect ed. Before I enter into argument on that point, suffer me to say that ray object is, I trust, of the very best nature —to in crease the usefulness of the ministry, and to bring tho mind of both pastor and flock to examine carefully their mutual rela tions and obligations; feeling that it will result in the glory of Him “ who loved us and washed us in His own blood.” And I do hope that through my feeble effort, able pens will keep the subject agitated, until there is a complete reformation wrought in our entire communion. As has been remarked, there is something wrong—out of joint—somewhere ; for the relations established between pastors and churches are expressed so plainly that we need not err. But we turn to our task, and show the reasons why the ministry is not sustained. Ist. We remark, that the relationship which the New Testament requires, is un derstood by but a very small minority of Baptists, We regret to say that the peo ple are not generally Bible readers. The Master knew it would be so ; hence He appointed teachers and made it obligatory that they make the Bible their study, and impart their knowledge to others by preaching and conversation, requiring them to declare the whole counsel of God. The conclusion follows, that if the churches do not understand their obligations to their pastors, pastors have failed to de clare the whole counsel of God. They have not insisted on the importance of pastors being relieved from worldly em ployment. Why? It may be that their inclinations at times prompt them to give to their families what belongs to God. Pride steals into their hearts unaware, and ere they are apprised of it, they become worldly-minded; covet worldly aggran dizement, follow the fashions of the day. Desiring that their families shall occupy high and fashionable positions in society, and fearing that the churches will not sup port them at these extravagant rates, they adopt some worldly calling, and accuse the brethren of covetousness. “Will a man rob God ? yet ye have robbed me.” Malaehi iii: 8. If it is caused by cove tousness, wo unto the churches ! for no covetous man shallj enter the kingdom of heaven. But it is not covetousness, it is ignorance. Let each pastor preach upon this subject constantly, and talk about it as be would upon any other duty of great importance, and at the same time lay him self unreservedly on the altar of God; and they will test the position that I have as sumed. Perhaps this position will cloud the brow of some of my dear ministering brethren, and they spay say, as one did to George Washington, “ What! a young buckskin teach a British officer how to fight?” Who was right? I do not say there is no exception : I believe there are many. Let each one review his past course, and if we find that we have given room for the charge, let us reform. 2. I remark, that the chief cause is the want of dedication to our calling. Breth ren, is the instruction given to Timothy applicable to us ? “ Give thyself wholly to these things.” What was the charge given us when we were separated to the ministry? Have we been faithful to Christ and His people? Have we been entangled with worldly cares ? Now, why da we dodge behind the expression of the apostles, like the man that cheated the negro out of his wheat, and said, “He that provideth not for his own, and espe cially for those of his own house,” etc. Why should we believe that God has laid contradictory obligations on tho ministry ? Has He not separated us unto the gospel of Uis Son, with the injunction, “ Give thyself wholly to these things ?” Again, “No man that warreth, entaugleth him self with the affairs of this life.” Now, if it is my duty to adopt a seoular pursuit, the chqrQfi is free; for what is required of the ohurch oannot be transferred to the pastor, nor vice versa. Therefore, we re mark, that it is the duty of the church to take tho support of the pastors’ families on their own hands; consequently, the pastor is free. But it is often said by some, that they have unbounded confi dence in God, hut very little in the churoh, and if tfie ministry depend on the ohurches far the support of their families, they will suffer —starve ! I reply : The Scriptures teach a different doctrine, and I, for one, will test which is correct. See 2 Tim. ii: 12, and learn the cause of ministerial pri vations. Have we not in one sense for saken Christ? Yes; and He has forsaken us too. Read Matt, xviii: 29, 30. Is it not we forsake all for Christ’s sake, we shall reoeive manifold more ? Do we believe it ? He that has numbered the hairs of our heads, and sees the sparrow fall, never will forsake us. The Scriptures teach that “ the laborer is worthy of his hire.” The hire, or pay, is proportioned to the labor. If all our time is consumed for the kingdom of heaven, we shall not i ack for tho neoossaries of life. There is no promise that we shall become rich in this world, nor is it needful. If I give my churoh one-fifteenth part of my time, Ido not think it would be right to claim twelve months’ pay. Let us give God all our time ; then we may expect to be provided for. Matt, xx : 7. Turn to it and read. Turn to Matt, x : 39, xxiv : 45—47. Brethren, read and ponder, and let us for the future blame where blame belongs. A. B. NfcRRIS. Woodbury, Ga., Sept. 1871. A Consecrated Ministry. In the communication of “ L.,” in your issue of 14th instant, the following para graphs appear: The question, “ How shall we secure a ministry wholly devoted to the work of their office?” has been often asked, and so far as we are aware, 'remains unan swered. To our mind, the question can be answered in but one way, and that is the way in which Rome has answered it. We can have men solely devoted to the work of the spiritual office only by deny ing them the privilege of marriage, and hy divesting them of the .hopes and aspi rations which spring from the relation of a family. This being at once unscriptural and opposed to the natural dictates of the human mind, we are inevitably driven -to the conolusion that consecration, in this form, was never designed by the Author of the Church. ... 44 This cry for ‘settled pastors,’ and for a ‘consecrated ministry ’ is one which did not originate with Baptists, and which Baptists should be slow to take up.” The whole article forms a good plea for a secularized ministry. Fortunate ly, there is not a quotation nor an al lusion to a quotation from Scripture in the article. I presume the dear bro ther is not a minister, or he would not so recklessly play with an edged tool. He could scarcely have touched a question of more vital importance to the denomina tion. It should be most carefully studied and enforced by our ablest writers; be cause there seems to be a growing dispo sition in the churches to refuse a sufficient support to their ministers, and thus com pel them to adopt some other calling. In practice, this writer’s views would appear to be the ruling sentiment of nearly all the churches in this State. We doubt whether there are ten settled pastors re ceiving competent salaries in the State, out of over six hundred ordained minis terp. But the question is, Where shall we look for the standard of truth and right? To the practice of the churches or the word of God ? Theologians and commentators, following the idea incul cated by the separation of the Levites, have construed Acts vi: 4, Rom. i: 1, 1 Cor. ix: 5—15, and 1 Tim. iv: 15, 16, to teach entire consecration to a spiritual work. When ministers, as a presbytery, ordain a man to the gospel ministry, they solemnly charge him to give himself whol ly to his spiritual calling, and to make any secular pursuit a matter of sheer necessity, —to resort to it only when impossible to live by the ministry. It will be a joyful day to hundreds of dear suffering women and children, if the views of “L. can be established as the true teaching of the gospel. There are very many young men of good talents now laboring among the churches for the miserly pittance of three or four hundred dollars a year, unable to afford their families any oomforts, and not all of the necessaries of life; who, if they can be satisfied of the correctness of his position, will be worth to their families, from one to two thousand dollars a year. These men are not Ml of them exclusively devoted to the ministry: they are com pelled to farm, to teach, to work; but their connection with the miaistiry crip ples them, and they cannot make their business pay. WHOLE NO. 2560. We knew a man on whose head the hands of the presbytery were laid, and who arose ito his feet determined to follow their charge, sustained, as he thought it was, by. shh word of God. He turned his back on a well-established business, which for years, and up to that day, had yielded him a clear income of three thousand dol lars a year. When the thousands he had saved were consumed, while vaiuly striv ing to live of the gospel, he tried to carry both along together, but utterly failed to make the same business remunerative. We now know men of classical learning who cannot make school and pastorate of four churches yield an income of eight hundred dollars. There are a few men who, being favorably situated, may do bet ter ; but, as a general rule, a man who is a pastor of one or more churches, cannot make a good or competent support. Now, if “L.” is right, we hope he will get up his proofs. He shall be considered a pub lic benefactor, at least by the women and children, if he will show, in a proper man ner, that we have all been mistaken about what constitutes a consecrated ministry. C. H. S. Rjme, Qa. Sept., 1871. “A Strange Scruple.*’ You published, some months ago, in your paper, under this heading, the follow ing incident: “George Muller, of Bristol, has always refused to sit for his likeness. On one occasion a successful attempt was made, without his knowledge; but on hearing of it, Mr. Muller entreated that it might be given up to him, and it was de stroyed.” You did not tell us what were the grounds of his scruple; we are there fore left to our own surmisings. Mr. Muller, take him all in all, is a strange man ; that is, he differs so much as a servant of the Lord, in faith and ; practice , from the Lord’s servants gener ally, of the passing age. Herein, I sup pose, consists his strangeness. Why, sir, Mr. Muller believes that God is a living God, a holy God, a present God, a God of truth, an omnipotent God, and that God is an absolute Sovereign over all. But some man will say, “There is nothing strange in all this. All God’s servants believe these things.” I know that there are many who say that they believe these things. But to say is one thing, and to do is quite another thing. Do Christians daily talk, and walk, and work like they believed that God was present with them ? Mr. Muller believes that, whether we eat or drink, or whatever we do, we ought to “do all to the glory of God.” Query : Has God ever been glorified by the like ness of men on paper, on canvas, on wood, or on stone ? And if so, when, and where, and how ? And if not, it is no great sin for Mr. Muller, or any other Christian, to refuse to sit for his likeness. Again. Mr. Muller believes that “the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness there of that the gold and silver are Ilis, and that we are all God’s stewards ; and that it is wicked in God’s stewards to waste their Lord’s goods. “Moreover, it is re quired in stewards that a man be found faithful.” Is the taking of pictures an evil work ? If it is a waste of money, it is; and in the aggregate, a great evil. In almost all the cities and towns, and many villages too, there are picture gal leries, and artists at work the year round. What amount do you suppose is paid an nually by church members for pictures in your city, your county, your State V And are any poor orphans fed, and clothed, and instructed by the outlay ? Are any missionaries thereby sent to preach the gospel to a lost world ? Is this sin-cursed world blessed thereby ? But some man will say, “ That is a very little thing for any man to scruple about—a picture.” Mr Muller has a strange memory ; and, with many other things, he remembers that his Lord said, “ He that is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also in that which is much.” lie believes it, too. And then he remembers that his Lord asked, “ If, therefore, ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will com mit to your trust the true riches ?” “ And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s who shall give you that which is your own ?” David Lee. John Hall on Church Music. In order to become a yet greater power for good in the country, we doubt not the church of the future will seek in a higher degree to popularize her service. And this, we apprehend, will he done, not so much by the adoption of new, as by the resumption offormer methods. Take, for example, the subject of singing in divine service. In many churches this noble function of the church has been delegated to a few persons, and the appearance a congregation presents to an observant heathen would be that of a body of people in a large building, at one end of which, on an eminence above the people, a man does all the praying and talking, and at the other end of which three or four others, at a greater elevation, do all the praising ! This plan is bad enough in city churches, but when it is rudely mimicked in small villages, as it has been seen, it is intoler able. It recalls Conybeare’s description of the state of matters in many English churches, where a set of reprobates in the parish bawl out, “the hanthem,” or shriek out the psalms. Red Men for Christ.— A Baptist missionary among the Choctaw Indians, west of Arkansas, writes: “I feel en couraged iu my labors here. I have been an Indian missionary from Georgia for fifteen years, and a thousand converts or more, living and ever living, are the fruits of this mission.” Want or Ministerial Study. —Some men fail to study. They come before their audi ences without careful preparation. Hem* they are flurried. They are like one pump ing at a dry well; there is some perspiration and a good deal of creaking and —nothing more. Vociferation sometimes is in pre cise proportion to the paucity of matter. Have something to say, and you can probably say it. Some men neglect pulpit study and ouoto) open thy mouth wide nod 1 will fill it.” Such men may open their mouths, but they will probably be filled with shame, and nothing more. The Lord don’t drop sermons ready made into the mouth of any clerical lounger.— Work.-— He is idle* who might be better employed.